The Day Cher Met the Man Who Changed Her Life Forever

Let’s talk about Cher—yes, THE Cher. The legendary singer, actress, and icon who’s been around for decades and still manages to captivate us. Well, today we’re diving into a story that’s both deeply personal and incredibly inspiring. Cher was married to Sonny Bono for 11 years, and though Sonny passed away in 1998, his influence on her life and career remains as strong as ever. Recently, the 72-year-old Grammy and Oscar winner sat down with Gayle King on CBS This Morning to share her memories of the man who truly changed everything for her.

Cher remembers the exact moment she first saw Sonny. “Someone said, ‘there’s Sonny,’ and I turned around to look at him, and I swear to God, it was like Maria at the dance,” she said. “Everyone just disappeared, and there was Sonny. I don’t know what it was—it was something I’d never felt before.” Cher adds that she left home when she was just 16 and was staying with a friend when Sonny offered her a place to live. Talk about a life-changing moment!

First Impressions: Cher on Sonny’s Honest (and Brutal) Words

Now, here’s where things get interesting. Sonny didn’t exactly pull any punches when it came to his first impression of Cher. “He said, ‘I don’t find you particularly attractive, and I have twin beds,’” Cher recalled. Ouch! But you know what? That didn’t stop her from being completely drawn to him. In fact, it was Sonny who saw the potential in Cher that she couldn’t see herself. “I didn’t realize it. Sonny realized it—I had no idea,” Cher said. “He wrote me a poem and said … ‘You’re a butterfly that deserves to be seen by all.’”

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Sonny had been trying to make it big in the music industry for years but had given up. When he met Cher, though, everything changed. He saw her as the missing piece to the puzzle, and boy, was he right. Together, they created something truly special, and their legacy lives on to this day.

Remembering Sonny: Cher on Speaking at His Eulogy

Even though Cher and Sonny were divorced by the time he passed away, the pain of losing him was still incredibly raw. Speaking about delivering his eulogy, Cher said, “If Sonny walked in here right now, I’d call him short, and he’d say something to me. And people would be laughing. Nobody would understand our connection because we didn’t.” That’s the kind of bond they had—a unique, unspoken understanding that only they truly understood.

On and Offstage: The Real Cher

Cher also opened up about the differences between who she is in real life and who she becomes on stage. “I don’t like going up to strangers. I don’t like going into restaurants … but when I’m working, I’m just another person. I’m this person who gets to be free,” Cher explained. “Cher, onstage, has no boundaries, and when I go on stage, I have to go from my height to, like, 15 feet tall.” It’s a transformation that’s both magical and empowering.